1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a surgical forceps which prevents slippage of one forceps jaw over the other jaw. More specifically it relates to surgical forceps which avoid the use of a pin inside one jaw adapted to be inserted in an opposing opening in the other jaw whereby slippage of the jaws is prevented by the positioning of the pin in the opening, which sometimes causes injury to the surgeon's thumb or finger when positioned over the opening. Still more specifically it relates to surgical forceps which has a bracket on one jaw of the forceps, this bracket having a shape which partially surrounds and embraces the other jaw of the forceps when the two jaws of the forceps are forced together, whereby the bracket prevents slipping of one jaw over the other. Still more specifically the bracket means for preventing slipping of one jaw over the other prevents injury to the surgeon's thumb or finger.
2. State of the Prior Art
Surgical forceps are known for holding tissue and blood vessels with one hand while the surgeon's other hand manipulates a needle and suturing thread to suture a patient's wound. An early type of forceps has no provision to prevent slippage of the tip of one of the forcep jaws over the other jaw particularly when tissue or a blood vessel is gripped between the tips. An improvement over this type of forceps comprises a forceps which has a pin or tiny rod extending perpendicularly from the inside of a first forceps jaw and extending toward the second or other forceps jaw. When the two jaws of the forceps are brought together, the pin becomes inserted in an opening in the second jaw positioned to receive the pin. The pin needs to be long enough that it extends beyond the outer surface of the second jaw since the initial positioning of the pin in the opening needs to be done while the jaws are a substantial distance from each other and the tissue or blood vessel is not yet firmly gripped by the jaws. Since the surgeon is concentrating on the blood vessels and tissue of the patient's wound, he often accidentally places a thumb or finger over the opening and when the pin extends beyond the opening, it may pierce the skin of the surgeon's thumb or finger. In addition to the discomfort and pain caused while the surgeon is trying to concentrate on the suturing operation, it is particularly dangerous in this age of aids and HIV infection to have commingling of the patient's and the surgeon's blood.
It is therefore most desirous to have a means for preventing slipping of the forceps jaws over each other and also to effect this by a means which will not cause the injury described above.